Understanding the program and how we can help
If you own a home in Burien, Des Moines, Kent or SeaTac, and have a sound insulation system (called a Port Package), you may be experiencing problems such as mold and water damage to your windows, doors and ceilings. You may also have just heard about a new update program and wonder what that means for you.
To address those problems, on February 27, 2024 the Port of Seattle Commission ordered the creation of a Sound Insulation Repair and Replacement Pilot Program. At the same time, State law SB5955 passed to help fund and monitor that program.
Here is what we know so far…
The first thing to know is that the program is not running yet. There is nowhere to apply and nothing for you to do today because first the program has to be designed. And that will take time.
The Port intends to assess all 9,400 homes that received Port Packages, create a system to prioritize what repairs will be offered, which homes are eligible, and who goes first. And they mean to do all that by December 31, 2024. The plan would then begin work on at least some of the eligible homes in 2025. They have allocated $5,000,000 for construction, and the State plans to contribute another $1,000,000.
To put this into perspective, a totally new Port Package, costs over $100,000. Now, most updates will not cost nearly that much, but this pilot program has nowhere near enough money to do every home. So the evaluation and prioritizing of homes will be critical.
Remember that this is a pilot program. Your home may not be fixed right away. But it is in everyone’s interest that this pilot program is run well, both by the Port and the State. The ultimate goal is to obtain funding from the Federal government to get every home fixed. This pilot program is the audition.
Who we are. How we can help…
Sea-Tac Noise.Info is a community organization with no connection to the Port of Seattle. We advocate on many airport issues. We’ve spent almost seven years documenting problem Port Packages, helping to create this new program, and get these laws passed.
Our goal is to make sure that all 9,400 homeowners are well-informed, that every home is properly evaluated for eligibility, and every eligible home ultimately receives a just settlement.
We do not advise homeowners to simply wait for the Port to come to you. Frankly, that is a big reason the original Port Package program ended up with the problems so many of you are now living with.
If you have any Port Package problems, we encourage you to join over 1,000 homeowners and contact Sea-Tac Noise.Info. We can do a very short site visit, identify problems you may not see–especially with indoor air quality, and help you gather the paperwork and history of your sound insulation system. The more homes we reach, the better educated you are, the easier it will be to insure that everyone gets the healthy and safe sound insulation system we all deserve.